Ron helped his dad move and restack wood that had been delivered earlier in the day. Dad had a project to build two rooms in the attic and now he had the wood to proceed.

Ron and Dad moved the wood from the front yard to the back yard and neatly stacked it near the old shed by the back fence.

The next day Ron and his friend David were playing in the back yard and decided that they could have fun with the largest piece of wood in the stack. This piece of wood was 2” by 6 or 8” and very long. It was also very heavy. They planned to lift one end of the wood up and lean it on the roof of the shed. They could then climb up the plank and slide down it.

At first all went well. They managed to move the smaller wood to expose this large piece. When they began to move the large piece they realized it was extremely heavy. Both Ron and David were wearing short pants and sandals and both were already scratched on the legs.

“David, I’ll lift this end if you can push it towards me a little”. Ron instructed. Dave began to push and Ron lifted the board some and began to step backwards.

Claudia closely examined his leg and tried to calmly state, “Ron, your chin bone is badly scrapped. There is no skin left on it. Only the bone is showing. David and I will carry you to the house. Don’t try to stand on it”. She stated as the tears flowed down her face. “Oh, Ron, I know it must hurt badly. I’ll call your Dad first and then the doctor”.

She and David could not lift Ron completely, so Ron put his left arm around Claudia’s neck and his right arm around David’s neck and they hobbled to the house. They soon had Ron lying on his bed. Claudia quickly put a large towel under the bleeding leg and rushed to phone Ron’s dad.

Dad was very quickly home and carefully examined Ron‘s leg before he asked how the accident happened. Ron explained as Dad phoned the doctor. Within an hour the doctor was examining Ron’s leg.

“Mr. Huckleberry, Ron’s leg is badly damaged. As you can see there is a six inch area of chin bone that is exposed. The skin was torn off and there is no skin to pull back over the wound".

"These wounds are more common than you might imagine. My experience is that young folks too often damage this type wound before it is completely healed. Then the healing process takes three times as long".

"A specialist can do a skin transplant now or in a couple of days, but I really don't agree with this process. The biggest problem right now is infection. If we avoid an infection, the complete healing process can progress with out any set-backs. I'll give your son sufficient antibiotics to prevent infection".

"The other important thing at the moment is to insure that the leg is protected until the natural healing process is complete. This can take a long time".

"Nature will form a scab over this type wound. This protection is needed while the new thing tender skin forms over the bone".

The doctor pats Ron on the knee, "Son, it will be difficult for you to lie in the bed for two or three weeks, but in the long run it will be worth it to you. If you leg heals properly the first time, your problems may well be over. However, if you insured the wound again before it is fully healed, the healing process then might take twice as long".

Ron almost cries, "Do you mean that I must lie here in this bed for three weeks".

"Yes, and then you must be extremely careful for a long time. If you have a skin transplant you must be equally carefully for weeks too", the doctor explains.

“What is it that we will do here”? Dad asks.

“Ron must lie on his back for a long time and be careful not to injure or disturbed the healing process

The doctor opened his medical bag and placed several items on the bed. “Miss, will you please bring three or four more thick towels”? He asked Claudia.

Claudia left immediately to do as instructed. In a minute or so she returned with four large bath towels. The doctor placed the towels under Ron's legs. "This will protect the sheets and mattress". He explained. "Ron, I'm going to wash your wound. It might hurt some, so bite your lip and hold on to the sheets”. He instructs with a smile.

The doctor explained that he was going to irrigate the wound with a sterile saline solution.Claudia held Ron’s hand as the doctor washed Ron’s leg. The ordeal was soon over and the doctor then placed sterile gauze on the wound and then wrapped the leg with heavier gauze.

He wrote a prescription to help fight off any infection and gave the paper to Ron’s dad. “Mr. Huckleberry, try to get this medicine soon and get Ron started on it. I’ll be back tomorrow to change the bandage”. He then assured Ron that all would be alright…if he stayed in bed and mostly on his back.

Ron asked, “Doctor, if I'm real careful do you think I can get out of bed in one week"?

“As I said earlier, it will take a long time for nature to replace the missing skin, but you and I will watch the progress every day".

The doctor left and Ron’s dad drove to the pharmacy and soon returned with the medicine. Dad wanted to be angry with Ron, but instead he just gave Ron a kiss, instructed Claudia to be sure the doctor’s instructions are followed to the ‘T’.

Mom came home a little earlier than usual to show her concern for Ron. She too wanted to be angry with her naughty son, but instead just gave him a kiss and assurance.

The next three weeks were the most miserable and boring days in Ron’s life. Mom and Claudia bought Ron comics, puzzles and small cars to occupy him with, but poor active Ron was a prisoner on the bed. Claudia was very strict with Ron. She slept in the house for three weeks and checked on Ron through out the night.

Ron appreciated that Grandmother and Aunt Anne and Aunt Jane phoned every single day, but he was still miserable. David came to visit every day and they played the games etc on the bed, but all Ron wanted was to out of jail.